


Night Life

by justpig



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: M/M, Rated T for language, Slow Burn, Street artist au, also im thinking jeonginxdaehwi but, basically JYP fam + wanna one lolol, established woochan, except for hyunjin he's a magician, i'll leave that for now :))), im sorry in advance, seungmin-centric, the description is kinda creepy but its fluff i promise, this is a solid mess and a half, well aside from the occasional angst but its still mostly fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-04-17 04:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14180268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justpig/pseuds/justpig
Summary: nighttime might not always be as dark as we perceive.





	1. hi hello

**Author's Note:**

> lMao ok so this first chapter is just 4000+ unedited words of character introductions and seungmin being confused oops things will (hopefully) actually start picking up in the next one or two chapters oop  
> kudos/comments ofc arent necessary but v much appreciated !!

“ _as we exchange those words  
we’re starting our own story_”  
\- hi hello; day6

Seungmin wasn't sure if he was to feel excited or nervous. 

Of course, he had been excited for the past 24 hours - after all, he was finally given the chance to discern what his brother's four year secret could possible be. But now that his brother was actually about to reveal it, the great reality of it all sunk in. 

It didn't even affect Seungmin that much. At least, not from an outsider's point of view. But as he trailed behind Woojin, Seungmin realized how drastic of an effect this expedition would really have. Seungmin was so used to associating this mysterious part of Woojin's everyday life with his brother; now that he was to know what it could possible be, he wasn't sure how to see Woojin in general anymore. 

And even now, when they hadn't even reached the destination, Seungmin's view on Woojin became increasingly foggier. _Especially with this goddamn path_ , Seungmin thought to himself grimly as he picked through the foliage, tightly gripping the flashlight Woojin had handed him before they'd left.

"Do you always go this way? Because this is kind of a mess," Seungmin blurted.

Woojin only chuckled. "Not always. When I first started, I had to take two buses with a transfer in between. Changbin has since taught me a better and more efficient way to get to our meeting place. Which is this!" He said the last part with a fond smile, tapping the sandy path with his foot.

"At this point i'd rather endure the bus crowds," Seungmin grumbled. which was saying something, considering how much he disliked excessive human contact.

"Trust me, this way is so much better. And i don't get judged for toting around this bulky-ass bag."

"I'm sure."

"Really!" Woojin glanced over his shoulder. "The view is amazing once we make it out of these trees. Trust me, as someone who doesn't normally go outside in their free time, this one is definitely a killer place."

Seungmin was still somewhat skeptical. He had never been one to enjoy hiking, and due to many incidents before, he was prone to believe that Woojin was just saying things to make him feel better. An optimist, Woojin was, and while that would normally be viewed as a good thing, Seungmin couldn't help but sigh at his brother now.

"Ah! Here we are."

In his attempt to focus on not tripping over a stray stick, Seungmin had kept his eyes trained to the ground as he followed behind Woojin, also meaning that he didn't notice when the forest finally came to an end and opened up into this mass expanse of open area. 

Well. Maybe he should start trusting Woojin more.

They were in an open field, right next to a river that you could hear the water moving from. aAbove was a dark sky; due to city lights, you couldn't see the stars, but it was clear enough that the moon shone so brightly that the entire area was washed in a wave of blue light, prompting Seungmin to flick off his flashlight.

It was almost magical. Seungmin had only ever dreamed of being in places like this.

"Told you."

Woojin's voice cut through the serenity of it all, causing Seungmin to turn and glare at him. Woojin just shrugged.

“How come you never told me that this place existed?" Seungmin demanded, slapping his brother's arm in mock irritation. “You know that this is my kind of place! this is the kind of thing that I always read about in my fantasy novels."

"Well i'm sorry that you were like - what, ten years old? - really young when i first came across the place! Mom and dad wouldn't let me bring you here. I wanted to, really. But I probably would've lost you or something, so."

Finding no particular law in Woojin's strangely perfect explanation (Seungmin was pretty sure he rehearsed it at least nine times back at home), Seungmin only huffed. 

"Is this our destination? I thought you said there were a lot of people."

"Nope," Woojin said, popping the 'p' obnoxiously. He gestured to a narrow bridge. "We're crossing the river."

Seungmin hadn't noticed the bridge at first, but he supposed that was only natural considering how thin it was; it probably only allowing one person to cross at a time. The worst part? It was made of wood. Seungmin wasn't exactly thrilled to see one of those planks crack and result in them falling to their doom.

"It's fine," Woojin assured, likely knowing what Seungmin was thinking from the troubled expression on his face. "It looks insecure, but it's really quite sturdy. It hardly ever bends."

"Uh-huh." Seungmin's palms were getting sweaty. When did they get this high up?

Woojin gave Seungmin a small smile. "Just follow me! I'll go in front. That way, if the bridge breaks I'm more likely to fall than you."

Seungmin wasn't sure if that was supposed to be serve as a reassurance - he liked his brother alive and well, thank you very much, but he just gulped and nodded before trailing after his brother onto the first plank.

Seungmin realized a few steps in that he really had nothing to worry about. As Woojin had claimed, the bridge was quite sturdy. The only thing that really freaked Seungmin out was the river waves crashing below them. As they reached the middle, the water got increasingly louder (likely due to a dip in the middle of the bridge) and Seungmin's knees turned to jelly every time it sounded particularly loudly.

_Next time i'll stay at the open field_ , Seungmin thought after they'd crossed. 

Upon stepping on solid ground again, Seungmin immediately felt dizzy. It wasn't until now that he was duly aware of the fact that he had likely been holding his breath for the entirety of the walk along the bridge; taking in reasonable amounts of oxygen now made him lightheaded enough to see spots. He closed his eyes to stop the world from spinning.

"You good?" Came the concerned voice of Woojin. 

"Fine," Seungmin breathed out. He opened his eyes again and was relieved to find that his vision had returned to a normal state. "Just a bit lightheaded. I'll be fine-"

Taking a step forward, Seungmin hadn't counted on the fact that there'd be a rock right in front of his foot, easily tripping him. As he fell, he braced himself for impact, only to find that it never came.

Huh?

Someone was holding him up, but it definitely wasn't Woojin. Seungmin would know if it was his brother hugging him or not. So he could it possibly be -?

"Hyunjin!" Woojin practically screeched. Seungmin recognized the familiar 'protective big brother' tone he tended to use when anything happened to Seungmin. "Let go of him!"

“Chill! I was just catching him so that he doesn’t faceplant and ruin that pretty face of his.” the voice that says this is smooth and quiet, despite the exclamation and the fact that it’s practically right next to Seungmin’s ear. Seungmin promptly broke free with a yelp.

Woojin snorted. “Yeah, I know my little brother’s attractive and all, but keep those comments to yourself.”

Shooting his brother a glare - he was trying to transmit a face of ‘ _shut up the dude saved me so you could at least try and be a bit more tolerant_ ’ but he was pretty sure he failed from the little reaction he received - Seungmin was finally able to get a good look of whoever had caught him. 

The boy was tall (while he wasn’t much taller than Seungmin, he was still definitely tall). That much was clear. He also seemed to be about Seungmin’s age, but Seungmin had never been someone who could grasp that kind of stuff properly so there was no guarantee. And he was insanely attractive. What was it he had said earlier? ‘ _Just catching him so he won’t faceplant and ruin that pretty face of his?_ ’ Seungmin was sure that if the roles had been switched, he would say the same.

“Oh, this is your little brother you always talk about?” The boy eyed him, causing Seungmin to fidget. “Well, he certainly lived up to the expectations. You always speak so highly of him I sometimes wonder if you’re just bluffing.”

“When have you ever seen me bluff?” Woojin carried on the conversation so easily that Seungmin was in awe, to say the least. Who was this suave Woojin who could actually speak to others smoothly and what had he done to Seungmin’s introvert of a brother? “But yeah, this is Seungmin. It’s the first time I’ve brought him out here so you better treat him nicely.”

“I’d never think of doing otherwise.”

Woojin smiled, then stepped over and rested his hand on Seungmin’s shoulder. “Seungmin, meet Hyunjin. Hyunjin, Seungmin.”

Hyunjin grinned. Sticking out his hand, he said, “Pleased to finally meet you, Seungmin.”

“Uh. Likewise.” _Real smooth_. Nevertheless, Seungmin took his hand and shook it. (Woojin snickered with a ‘ _I’ve literally never told you Hyunjin existed so ‘likewise’ makes no sense in this context _’ and Seungmin reacted with a quick kick in the shins).__

__“I assume you brought him here to meet the others?” Did they always talk so formally? Seungmin wondered if he should start bringing his pocket dictionary._ _

__“Ah, yeah.” Woojin sighed, but he made no move to hide the grin on his face. “I’m kind of excited, really. It’s been four years and I finally get to show him this place! So you better not fuck it up. None of you fuck it up.”_ _

__Hyunjin clicked his tongue. “No guarantees, but we’ll try.” He turned back to face Seungmin, winking before spinning around on his heel, saying, “Follow me, and try not to get lost.”_ _

__Huh?_ _

__⠊_ _

__Seungmin, thankfully, managed to stay behind Hyunjin the entire time._ _

__For some reason, they hadn’t continued along the mainstream path the bridge let out onto. Nope, instead they cut through the trees - much like what Seungmin had had to endure earlier. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his brother who was often teased for staying in his room for strangely long periods of time spent this much time out in the nature. “This better be good,” he muttered to Woojin, who only shrugged in response._ _

__After about a minute of trudging through dark foliage, Seungmin was relieved to find that the forest had come to an end and they were instead walking through a plain field. Aside from a few trees, there really wasn’t much, and Seungmin was surprised to see Hyunjin come to a stop and just breathe in._ _

__“Oh, right,” Woojin quickly said. “Hyunjin loves this place. Every time he passes through here - which is practically everyday, since he takes the same path as us - he just stands here for a few seconds. He claims to like the serenity of it all.” Woojin then turned to Hyunjin himself, who had finished his relaxation. “By the way, Seungmin likes the clearing by the bridge. Like everyone else.”_ _

__Hyunjin _tsk_ ed sharply in mock disapproval. “How basic.”_ _

__Seungmin blinked, confused. “What?”_ _

__Woojin burst into laughter from behind him, Hyunjin following soon after. “Sorry, we’ve just had this running debate going - Hyunjin, being the weirdo he is, is the only one who likes this area but everyone else likes the place I showed you earlier. Like normal people,” Woojin said, directing the end of it at Hyunjin, who only shook his head._ _

__“This place is nice too,” Seungmin replied, opening his arms wide and spinning to make it seem more believable. “I like the open space! And the air is clear. You don’t get that in the city.”_ _

__There was silence for a few moments, and Seungmin wondered if he had said something wrong. He was about to open his mouth to ask but was cut off by Hyunjin whispering not-so-discreetly to Woojin, “You never told me your brother was this cute?”_ _

__“Wait, what -”_ _

__Hyunjin turned back to face Seungmin, and Seungmin noticed that he looked like he was trying not to laugh. “You don’t have to make me feel better! I understand if we don’t have the same interests.” His face shifted to one that was slightly more horrified. “Oh god, unless I actually made you feel bad - I was kidding -”_ _

__“No! No no no, of course not.” _Great job, Seungmin. You haven’t even known the guy for more than ten minutes and you’re already making things awkward_. “I just - I actually really do like this place.”_ _

__“Oh! Okay, that’s good.” Hyunjin’s face stretched into a relieved grin._ _

__Woojin cleared his throat. “Well, I'm glad the two of you are getting along, but I think it'd be best if we continue along our way. I need to set up shop in a couple minutes and Changbin’s going to be pissed if he doesn't get his share.”_ _

__Hyunjin only nodded, wincing as Woojin finished his sentence. “Ah, yeah. Changbin isn't going to be happy.”_ _

__“Wait. ‘Set up shop’? And who's Changbin?” Seungmin had never felt more confused. And he was a little betrayed, to be honest - just how much had Woojin been keeping from him?_ _

__Hyunjin made a face at Woojin. “huh. you really haven't told him anything, have you?”_ _

__Woojin shrugged helplessly. “if i told him he'd been even more interested than he was not knowing anything. but really,” he said quickly before Seungmin could protest, “we should go.”_ _

__Hyunjin only rolled his eyes but obliged, continuing through the field and into a small town._ _

__Seungmin really had been missing out on some stuff because he had never even heard of a place like his anywhere remotely near where they lived. in fact, he wasn't sure if he'd heard of a place like this in general. the field led into a small alley connected to a street; as far as Seungmin could tell, the street was really the only sign any main civilization, other smaller paths only breaking off of it and spreading out into the dark, a considerably large contrast to the blinding lights and simultaneously loud yet peaceful bustle of the few people scattered across the street._ _

__It was incredible, really. Seungmin couldn't quite believe that he was actually seeing this. and to think that Woojin had been associated with this place for four years -?_ _

__“Took you long enough!” a voice yelled. turning in surprise, Seungmin tried not to act too startled at the sudden appearance of a boy with blond hair and a splash of freckles across his face. His voice was also unnaturally deep - at least, for someone with such delicate features as his own._ _

__“We got a bit caught up in explaining everything to Seungmin,” Woojin explained as he walked over to an empty stand that stood by a wall that had clearly been vandalized through the use of graffiti, but the orange wash of colour from the street lamps made it hardly visible against the red-brick background._ _

__Seungmin watched in part-confusion, part-awe as his brother swung the bag off his shoulder and let it thump on the ground before extracting a series of strange jars, cutlery and… were those sticks? _What in the world was Woojin doing?_ Seungmin had never seen Woojin do anything remotely close to what he was doing now, but Woojin seemed so confident that Seungmin could only watch, not interfere._ _

__“Seungmin. Hey, Seungmin!”_ _

__Seungmin was cut out of his daze by a hand waving in front of his face and the gentle voice of Hyunjin. “Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just -”_ _

__“Nah, it’s okay,” Hyunjin grinned. “We all get a bit mesmerized watching Woojin do his thing. I’m sure he’ll show you more later, but for now we need to show you around, starting off with meeting this guy right here.” He gestured towards the boy who had approached them earlier and the boy smiled, a wide smile that Seungmin couldn’t help but reciprocate. “This is Felix! He’s one of our street dancers along with Minho.”_ _

__“That’s me!” Felix waved, smile never wavering. “You’re Seungmin, huh? It’s great to finally meet you!”_ _

__“Uh, yeah,” Shuffling, Seungmin found himself blushing. They all seemed to be so in awe of his presence - what, exactly, had Woojin told them? “Street dancing is cool,” he blurted, then instantly regretted it. He really was trying too hard._ _

__Felix, however, seemed to not care, thankfully. “Oh my god, I know right? Once you get the basics down you’ll look cool wherever you go.”_ _

__“Frankly, you always look like an idiot,” Hyunjin commented snarkily, and Seungmin couldn’t help but snicker._ _

__Felix only squinted at him. “Says you? You’re a magician that wears a cape but not a top hat.”_ _

__Before Seungmin could even really process what Felix had just said, Hyunjin was already defending himself, seemingly have had this argument multiple times already. “Top hats are unnecessary! Why extract rabbits out of one of _those_ hideous things when you can you just take them out of Jeongin’s beanie? Plus you look stupid when they fall off.”_ _

__“Hold up,” Seungmin cut in. “You’re a magician?”_ _

__“Oh, yeah,” Felix answered for him. “He’s not exactly a full-fledged magician but he’s pretty good.”_ _

__Hyunjin gasped. “‘Pretty good’? Have you met a magician better than me?”_ _

__“Changbin can palm coins better than you.”_ _

__“Says what?”_ _

__“Says me.”_ _

__“Hate to break it to you buddy, but that’s called a wrong opinion.”_ _

__“My wrong opinions are always right!”_ _

__“That doesn’t even make sense you idiot!”_ _

___There was that name again_ , Seungmin realized as the two continued yelling at each other. _Changbin, huh? Who even is this guy?__ _

__The argument ceased suddenly, and Seungmin was startled to find that the two boys were now looking right at him. He realized too late what he had done. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”_ _

__“Yeah,” Felix said. “But it’s okay! We should probably take you to go meet everyone else anyway. I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine!” And before Seungmin could protest, he was being dragged away by Felix, an exasperated Hyunjin trailing after._ _

__⠊_ _

__Seungmin wasn’t sure how, but in the span of ten minutes he’d managed to befriend three more people and exchange enough conversation to know what kind of person they each were. This, of course, was only achieved by the help of Felix, who was really the one doing all the talking between him and whoever he was meeting, but he appreciated the boy’s effort nonetheless._ _

__The first one they’d met was Changbin. Seungmin was almost sure he used to be on his school’s volleyball team, notable for being an amazing player despite his clear disadvantage in height, but how he ended up here, Seungmin had no idea. As he himself was planning on joining the volleyball team once school started again, Seungmin made a mental note to ask the boy for tips. If he could. Changbin seemed somewhat difficult to approach; he did, however, appear to have a soft spot for Felix, so maybe Seungmin could get Felix to ask for him. He’d figure something out later._ _

__Following Changbin was Jisung, who had popped into the conversation before his actual official introduction. Carrying a bright smile, Seungmin was sure that Jisung would be quite the contrast to Changbin, and he was right - Jisung wasted no time in getting to know Seungmin and somehow managed to make conversing feel comfortable. How he managed to pull that off, Seungmin had no idea, but it made him grow a profound respect for Jisung._ _

__During their conversation, Seungmin learned that Changbin and Jisung were street buskers, primarily known for rapping in the trio ‘3Racha’ with another street busker by the name of Bang Chan (or Chan, as the others had simplified his name to)._ _

__“Wait - Bang Chan? Like silver-haired, studying music composition in university Bang Chan?”_ _

__The two of them had seemed a bit confused as to how Seungmin possibly knew who Chan was but had then understood when Seungmin explained that of course he’d met his brother’s boyfriend before. “I just didn’t know he was a street busker,” Seungmin explained. (Then, under his breath, “ _I also didn’t know that Woojin does whatever the heck he’s doing right now_.”)_ _

__After that, Felix had dragged Seungmin to where a small crowd was gathering. Trying to figure out what these people were crowding for, Seungmin had learned that this was the Jeongin that had been mentioned earlier by Hyunjin - and yes, he was wearing a beanie. _Was that trot playing?_ Seungmin wasn’t quite sure why a boy who couldn’t be much older than him was singing such old classics. Not that he was complaining or anything. All in all, it was quite the enjoyable experience. _ _

__“We’ll talk to him after he finishes his mini concert,” Felix promised after they’d stayed for one song. “Let’s go meet Minho!”_ _

__The boy in question was quietly practicing behind a loose set-up of cardboard boxes. Seungmin would’ve never looked there if it hadn’t been for Felix, and was surprised to say the least when one of the boxes shifted and a few came tumbling down._ _

__Minho had initially screeched upon seeing three people just standing there. “Oh my god, you fucking scared me!” He yelled, chucking one of the fallen boxes at Felix who only snickered as he dodged it. “At least give me a heads-up before you ghost to our private practice area.”_ _

__“Sorry,” Felix said (truthfully he didn’t sound apologetic at all but if Minho noticed he didn’t say anything about it). “I just thought I’d come by and introduce Seungmin to you! Since we’re performing in a couple minutes, I thought right now would be the ideal time.”_ _

__Seungmin waved with a small ‘hello’, Minho doing the same. “You’re Woojin’s brother, aren’t you?” Minho asked._ _

__Seungmin nodded. Honestly, he wasn’t even surprised by the question anymore._ _

__“It’s good to finally meet you.” Minho smiled._ _

__“Likewise.” (Maybe he didn’t need a dictionary)._ _

__“Felix, I think we need to run over the combo real quick if that’s possible,” Minho said, facing Felix who seemed a bit dejected but also excited at the prospect. “I want to check if we’re in sync for the one part…”_ _

__Felix winced. “Oh, yeah, okay.” Turning to Hyunjin, he squinted warily. “Can I trust you in taking Seungmin back to Woojin? You better not pull any of your stupid magic tricks. I want Seungmin to stay as pure as possible for as long as we can.”_ _

__“What - my magic tricks are perfectly fine!” Hyunjin sputtered, and Seungmin couldn’t help but laugh. “But yes. You just make sure you don’t fuck up your performance. I’ll be watching.”_ _

__“That I can do.”_ _

__With a quick farewell and wish of good luck, Seungmin and Hyunjin promptly circled back around the street, making their way back to where they’d started._ _

__“So?”_ _

__The question had come out of nowhere, slicing through the silence between the two. It was so abrupt that Seungmin jolted, eliciting poorly-hid chuckles from Hyunjin’s end. “So what?”_ _

__Hyunjin gestured around them. “What do you think?”_ _

__Seungmin blinked before comprehending what the boy was hinting at. _Dumbass_. “Oh! Sorry, I should’ve picked up on that sooner.” He winced at his own foolishness. “But yeah, I really like this place! There’s something about it that feels like home.”_ _

__There was no response, and Seungmin figured that wasn’t quite the response Hyunjin had expected. “... That was a bit cheesy, wasn’t it?”_ _

__“Slightly,” Hyunjin agreed. “But I’m sure everyone else would say the same.”_ _

__“Then why’d you act so surprised when I said it?”_ _

__Hyunjin tilted his head to the side, pondering. “Less so _surprised_ and more… speechless, I guess. It’s just that you’ve only been here for a few minutes and you’re already feeling the same way as us. Trial and error has proven that only select people really enjoy being here, which is partially why Woojin was somewhat neglected to bring you here in the first place. But you fit in just fine.”_ _

__“Do I?” The words were spilling out of his mouth before Seungmin could stop it._ _

__“Oh yeah.” Hyunjin laughed. “Plus, everyone loves you already. And you have no idea how happy I am to have another person who’s actually somewhat sane.”_ _

__“... You’re kidding.”_ _

__“Nope.”_ _

__Hyunjin then proceeded to tell him of how his friends were anything but sane (“There was this one time where Felix literally dared Changbin to kiss him on the cheek for three seconds - who in their right mind would do that?”) and Seungmin felt oddly comfortable. Even though he was just listening, Seungmin felt that he was actually acknowledged - something that happened more often than Seungmin was willing to admit._ _

__He could only hope it’d stay that way._ _


	2. two | better better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "(but you) became the reason  
> for me to get up  
> once more  
> you made me wanna open my eyes"  
> - better better; day6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ehehe i'm back!!! after thirty years of throwing this fic in a dusty bin i have finally written another chapter. tbh it's kinda short but i actually feel not terrible about it??? maybe it's bc it's named after one of my favourite day6 songs idk but eNJOY!!! comments and kudos aren't necessary but much appreciated!!

Seungmin made no move to hide the wave of betrayal he was hit with when they'd returned to Woojin's booth.

"You're a candy artist and you never told me? I thought we were siblings!"

"We are," Woojin agreed nonchalantly, not even sparing Seungmin a glance as he continued pouring the toffee-like liquid, creating a dragon of sorts. "Again, I was specifically told not to reveal anything about this place to you before you were 17. Mom was worried you'd get sidetracked from your studies if I distracted you with this too soon. And I saw where she was coming from, so I was okay with it."

"Clearly I'm not!" Seungmin pouted. "Plus, you started doing this when you were - what, 15? And you're doing perfectly fine in school! Does mom think I'm dumb or something?"

Woojin snorted, nearly messing up his design. "Yes," he deadpanned. "She thinks you're an absolute idiot. No, of course not! Mom just wasn't sure how well you could balance things out. Don't argue, we all know that you can't do proper time management for shit."

Opening and closing his mouth, Seungmin huffed, crossing his arms. (Hyunjin snickered from the side but shut up upon receiving a sharp glare from Seungmin).

"Aw, is our little Seungmin angry?" Woojin cooed, then handed him the dragon candy. "Here, I'll give it to you for free."

"Damn right you'd better give it to me for free," Seungmin muttered under his breath before promptly snatching the candy out of Woojin's hand.

"Wait hold on, what about me?" Came the offended voice of Hyunjin. Previously standing further behind as he watched the pair of siblings interact, he promptly came up to the front, eliciting a series of laughter from Seungmin. 

"How could I forget our resident magician?" Woojin grinned, handing Hyunjin a candy in the shape of a dog. Just as Hyunjin was about to eat it, Woojin stuck his hand out. "Three-fifty, please."

The stunned look on Hyunjin's face was enough to almost make Seungmin drop his candy.

"Wait what? Why? I thought you only sold your candies for a dollar! And Seungmin got his for free!"

Woojin rolled his eyes, seemingly hinting that the answer was ridiculously obvious. "I do only sell them for a dollar, but I think it's time you repay your debts. Don't think I forgot the time you stole two of them. And Seungmin gets it for free because he's my brother, you dumbass."

"Wha - that was three years ago!"

"Time doesn't erase your sins."

"Then what's with the extra fifty cents?"

"Interest."

"Fuck off," Hyunjin groaned, much to the amusement of the pair of siblings. (He ended up taking the candy when he thought Woojin wasn't looking).

Upon realizing that there were other people making their way over to Woojin's booth, Seungmin and Hyunjin promptly bid Woojin farewell and wished him luck in his sales; "I don't need your luck," Woojin had huffed, but the grateful smile he always carried was there nonetheless.

Once they were out of the vicinity, Hyunjin gestured for Seungmin to follow him. "Here. I'll take you to my booth."

"Oh?" Suddenly reminded of the fact that Hyunjin was a street magician, Seungmin quickly picked up his pace.

Turns out that they didn't have to walk very far since Hyunjin's booth was only twenty metres away, but Seungmin had no way to gauge the distance or time it took them to get there. Unlike the other booths, Hyunjin's table was almost completely enveloped in shadow. It was somehow simultaneously ominous and comforting. 

"Why all this darkness?" Seungmin blurted. 

Hyunjin didn't reply for a while, leading Seungmin to assume that it was somehow something he shouldn't have asked; this assumption proved to be wrong when Hyunjin leaned over the table to flick on a lamp. 

"The electricity has never worked on this lamp," Hyunjin said, gesturing to the broken light fixture above them. "I thought it'd be an ideal spot to set up my magic booth."

Seungmin snorted. "I swear that 80% of magician's tricks work because of atmosphere."

"Well you're not wrong." A light smirk evident on his face, Hyunjin picked up a card from the table and waved his hand over it before handing it to Seungmin. "It is, after all, a mere trick of the light, is it not?"

As much as he wanted to be in awe at what had just happened - and he was, since Hyunjin had indeed pulled a great feat in a matter of seconds - Seungmin couldn't help but burst out in laughter at the crude design on the card's face. What had once been a playing card was now replaced with a somewhat shakily-drawn stickman doing a peace sign, along with Hyunjin's signature running across the bottom.

"Hey, why are you laughing?" Hyunjin pouted, jutting out his bottom lip. "Not all magicians have to be good at drawing, okay?"

"Clearly they don't," Seungmin agreed, turning the card over in his hands. "Is this supposed to be a self-portrait?"

"Wha -" Momentarily speechless, it took Hyunjin a moment to reply. "Of course not! I'm much more handsome than any measly pen could recreate." (The huff he let out was a little too adorable for Seungmin). "But the card is for you. A keepsake to remember our friendship by."

Seungmin raised his eyebrows. "So I have a keepsake and you don't? That's not fair."

"Well do you have anything to give me?" Hyunjin's voice and appearance came off as nonchalant, but Seungmin had the feeling that he was looking forward to a keepsake more than he was letting on.

Sifting through his bag - Seungmin might appear as an organized student on the surface, but his bag was an absolute mess - Seungmin's hand brushed against the cold metal of something at the bottom of his bag. Startled, he opened his bag wider in an attempt to see what it was. 

"A ring? I didn't think you were going to propose to me this fast..." The expression on Hyunjin's face clearly hinted that he was only teasing, but Seungmin grew flustered nonetheless.

"You better take good care of this," Seungmin threatened. Offering the ring to Hyunjin, he said, "It's the only piece of jewelry I've ever owned. Granted, I've only owned it for a week, but the point is that it's valuable."

Hyunjin blinked at the ring lying open in Seungmin's hand. "... Wait, you're being serious? You're trusting me with a ring that's this valuable to you? Are you sure? Like, I was kidding about the keepsake thing, you don't have to if you don't have anything that's particularly suitable -"

"Shut up, Hyunjin, it's perfectly suitable. It was literally five bucks."

"I thought you said it was valuable!"

"Well yeah, valuable in the fact that it's the only piece of jewelry I ever really owned. And now it's even more valuable because it represents our friendship." 

Seungmin gestured for Hyunjin to take the ring. The latter seemed to be reduced to a more bashful state, slowly reaching out for the ring - before stopping himself. 

"Is something wrong?"

Hyunjin cleared his throat. "Is it valid to just take a ring like that? I feel like we need to do something... more." Clearly he had an idea as to what 'something more' could possibly be. With the way he was looking at Seungmin - which probably meant that he had regained the confidence that had weakened for maybe thirty seconds - he was just waiting for him to guess.

After fifteen seconds of silence, Hyunjin realized that Seungmin wasn't going to catch on any time soon. Holding out his hand, he said, "Put on the ring for me."

"What?"

"You heard me." Goddamn. Seungmin didn't know if he'd met anyone this cheeky right off the bat. "Put on the ring, please and thank you."

"You sound like an arrogant asshole of a prince unwilling to move a finger." Seungmin rolled his eyes, but slipped the ring on Hyunjin's ring finger nonetheless. (On the right hand, of course. Seungmin wasn't about to propose to a guy he'd met for less than two hours. Even if he was really cute. And even if he was really funny and -)

Hyunjin raised his eyebrows. "A promise ring?"

"Of course! A promise of friendship."

"Right."

They sat in silence for a few moments, finishing the last bits of their candy.

"So are we going to talk about how I traded you a fucking ring for a playing card -"

"Hey! No take-backs!"

⠊

As they had previously promised, Seungmin and Hyunjin made their way back to the stack of cardboard boxes - but this time, as opposed to going behind them, they sat themselves in some of the haphazardly placed chairs in front, creating a sort of stage. According to Hyunjin, this would be the stage that Minho and Felix would perform on.

"Do they do this everyday?" Seungmin tried not to sound too impressed. Keeping up a new combo everyday seemed exhausting.

"They only perform every few days," Hyunjin assured him. "They perform for one day and then teach the combo for the next few." Wink. "It's a way to keep their audience committed."

Glancing around them, Seungmin noted, "There aren't many chairs, though."

"Well we can't expect everyone to sit." Hyunjin leaned in dramatically, whispering. "Felix and Minho claim it's because they get people up and moving, but they really just don't have the money or patience to buy more than seven chairs."

"Seven chairs?" Doing a quick count, Seungmin found that there was, in fact, seven chairs. "What an odd number."

Hyunjin shrugged helplessly. "That's what we all told them, but they just found old chairs in their basement anyway, so."

"Hey Hyunjin - oh, Seungmin, you're here too?"

The pair looked up to see the smiling face of Han Jisung. Next to him was the boy Seungmin had seen singing trot earlier; his face held a similar smile to that of Jisung's, and it was almost unfair as to how contagious it was. 

"Ah, yeah, Hyunjin said he'd come back for their performance, and I thought I might tag along since I have nothing else to do."

"You won't regret it," Jisung promised, then sat himself down on the chair next to Hyunjin. His accomplice sat down on the other side of Jisung. 

Perhaps less discreet than he had originally planned, Jisung's friend leaned into Jisung and whispered loudly, "Is that Kim Seungmin? Woojin's brother?"

"Yeah, yell it out for the whole world to hear, why don't you," Jisung replied dryly (which Seungmin found rather ironic considering Jisung was probably the loudest member in the whole group). "But yes. That's Kim Seungmin. Seungmin; Jeongin. Jeongin; Seungmin."

"Hi!" Jeongin exclaimed, giving Seungmin probably the brightest smile he'd ever seen. "I'm Jeongin! I've heard a lot about you!"

"I'm Seungmin! I saw you singing earlier. You have a very nice voice."

The handshake they share is somewhat awkward since they have to pull it off across the bodies of two people, but they pull it off nonetheless.

"Woojin says you sing," Jeongin added. "Not that I'm surprised or anything - Woojin always kills it at karaoke - but I'd love to collab some time!"

He said this with such eagerness that there was no way for Seungmin to say no. "Not sure how well I can sing trot, though," he joked, to which Jeongin pulled a face of mock offense. 

"We can sing pop songs," Jeongin assured. 

"Speaking of pop songs, I think you all should know that Felix and Minho are dancing to a song produced by yours truly." Wiggling his eyebrows, Jisung earned several groans from his friends. 

"You could at least try to be more subtle," Hyunjin said, kicking Jisung in the shins. 

"How did you even get them to agree to that?" Jeongin scoffed. "They've always danced to songs that are either mainstream or produced by Chan. Your song must've been really good for them to agree to that."

Jisung seemed mildly offended by the last part of Jeongin's statement, but quickly brushed it off. "It was perfectly fine, thank you very much. I spent a good two weeks coming up with that beat. Granted, Chan and Changbin did help me, but considering I normally only write the lyrics, I think it's alright to take some credit."

("No, it's absolutely incorrect to take credit for a song that you made." Hyunjin said this with such a deadpan that it took a moment for Seungmin to process that he was being sarcastic.)

"Besides, Felix agreed almost immediately. My song was that good." Jisung paused, then added, "Minho agreed after the song had ended. He probably wanted the whole experience."

For some reason, Seungmin detected a strange twinge of disappointment in Jisung's voice, but he decided not to question it. "Do you guys normally produce your own music to perform?" He asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

Jisung perked up at this. "Yes, actually! We cover other songs sometimes, but we like performing self-produced songs the best."

As the conversation continued - Seungmin duly noted that they somehow managed to cover the topics of music, rubber chickens and the best way to cook ramen in the short span of eight minutes - more and more people began to file into the area, talking animatedly. Seungmin couldn't quite hear what everyone was saying, but he did pick out enough information to get a general idea as to what everyone was here for.

"They're doing hip-hop dance today?" Seungmin asked. Jisung checked his phone for something, then nodded.

"Yup. I mean, that's what they normally do, but they do try other styles if the music fits." Jisung shrugged. "The song is somewhat EDM so..."

"You'll get to see them in their natural habitat," Jeongin joked.

Almost as if he had heard, a large yelp was heard from behind the cardboard boxes; Seungmin vaguely recognized the voice to be Felix's. (He was 90% sure Minho's voice hadn't been that low). The four of them started, then burst into laughter.

"You good back there, Felix?" Hyunjin called. For a moment there was no response - only a second of silence to which the boys actually thought that something terrible had indeed happened to their friend - but the silence was quickly broken when the stack of boxes was kicked down, revealing Minho and Felix.

"Fine," Felix said with a grin. "I nearly broke my finger trying to get this leather jacket on, but fine."

Under other circumstances, Seungmin probably would've questioned that statement (how do you even break your finger putting on a freaking jacket? - but he was too entranced by the two boys in front of him to say anything. That and the fact that a cardboard box had been launched in his direction. Seungmin didn't like the idea of getting completely destroyed by a cardboard box.

For a few seconds, Minho and Felix simply stood there. They were smiling, clearly just as excited about the performance as the rest of them, with the crowd cheering. Seungmin was one of those cheerers. He was duly aware of the fact that he was hyping up two people who he hadn't even known about for more than three hours, but there was still a sense of pride that filled his chest.

And then the music started.

Now, Seungmin didn't know too much about dance, but he did know some terminology after developing a minor interest in it in middle school. Despite the song being EDM, the two boys had managed to choreograph a contemporary dance, their every move filled with some emotion, perfectly reflecting the lyrics of the song (which Seungmin will later learn is called 'Placebo').

Seungmin had never been so captivated by a dance.

The song eventually came to an end. After a quick watch-check, Seungmin realized with a start that it had practically been four minutes long. He was almost certain the song had gone by faster than that. Nonetheless, he clapped for the boys, so hard that his hands were stinging.

Minho and Felix bowed. With large smiles adonning both of their faces, the crowd slowly dispersed, although Seungmin had heard several promises that they would come back the next day to learn the choreography.

It wasn't until five or six minutes after the performance ended that the four boys in the audience were among the only people left. Scanning the area, Seungmin was surprised to see that the other people remaining were all people he knew. Although he supposed he shouldn't be particularly surprised; the eight of them (minus Chan, who was apparently absent that day) were clearly a tight bunch, so it was only natural they stay to properly congratulate the two.

"That was so good!" Jeongin exclaimed, running up to hug Felix. The others chorused their agreement.

"I think this might be your best choreography yet," Changbin remarked. For a second, Seungmin thought he was joking, but his face was oddly genuine.

"You're just biased since you produced the freaking song," Minho replied with an eye roll, but Seungmin could tell he was pleased with the positive feedback. Changbin sniffed but didn't deny it.

"You guys went contemporary this time, I see," Hyunjin grinned.

"It was just that kind of song." Felix shrugged. "I'm glad it worked out, though."

"It really did."

Seungmin watched as the five boys engulfed the dancers into another massive hug. They really were just one big family.

⠊

Seungmin almost forgot that he had to leave.

By now, he had been staying on the small street for maybe four hours, meaning it was almost midnight. Seungmin didn't usually stay up this late - unless he was studying for a test - but it was a weekend, so he convinced himself it was okay.

"Do you guys always stay up this late?" Seungmin asked Hyunjin. 

They were currently eating lamb skewers with the others, as provided by a sweet boy by the name of Huang Renjun. All eight of them knew that this probably wasn't the most healthy thing to be eating at twelve in the morning, but none of them really seemed to care.

"More or less. We usually leave earlier on weekdays, though." Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you tired?"

"No!" (Well, he was kind of tired, but awake enough to keep going for maybe another hour). "I was just wondering. Do none of your parents care?"

Hyunjin shrugged. "I don't know about the others, but I know my parents don't care enough to ask."

Seungmin blinked at this. Thinking of his own parents and Woojin, he knew that his parents were fully aware of Woojin's expeditions and actually quite supportive - they were just worried that he was never getting enough sleep. He hadn't expected Hyunjin's parents to be that indifferent.

"It's fine," Hyunjin said quickly, likely expecting Seungmin to say something to pity him. Which he was, he just didn't know what to say. "They don't treat me bad or anything, they just... care less."

Seungmin wasn't sure if that was supposed to make him feel better about the situation, but he decided to drop it.

It was then that another boy came over to their little set-up. Except he wasn't calling for any of them; rather, he went up to meet Renjun. Seungmin watched as the boy approached the kiosk, reaching out to hug Renjun and press a kiss to his temple. He'd never seen much PDA before - not that this was excessive PDA, but it was the first Seungmin had seen in a while - and he found himself almost a bit transfixed by the interaction.

Hyunjin followed his line of sight. "That's Jeno," he supplied. "He doesn't normally stay, but we've gotten to know him through Renjun."

Seungmin wanted to ask why Jeno didn't stay, but instead he blurted out, "Are you supportive of the LGBTQ+ community?"

Hyunjin gave him a funny look. Seungmin didn't blame him - that question was pretty random. But he was going to have to end up asking him anyway. "Why do you ask?"

"Just - Just answer the question."

"Yes." Hyunjin replied with almost no hesitation, surprisingly. That word was enough to let Seungmin release a breath of relief. What Seungmin hadn't expected was what he was about to say next. "I'm actually a part of the LGBTQ+ community myself, you know. In front of you is a proud bisexual."

Seungmin tried not to act too surprised. "Wait, really? I am, too! Well, I'm not bisexual, I'm pansexual and ace - but damn, I wasn't really expecting that."

Hyunjin laughed. "What, do I look straight to you?"

"Choose not to answer."

"Wise." As Hyunjin finished off the last of his food, a metal glint caught Seungmin's eye.

"Wait, you're still wearing that?" Seungmin poked the ring that he had slipped onto Hyunjin's hands just hours before. "I thought you would've ditched it by now. I was kidding when you said you had to take good care of it, you know."

Hyunjin seemed almost offended at the thought of him losing it. "What? Of course! It symbolizes our friendship. Besides, you still have that card, don't you?"

"Well yeah, but a ring is so much easier to lose than a card. I just stuck it in my pocket. You're actually wearing the ring." Taking out the card, Seungmin resisted the urge to laugh upon seeing the stick figure design on it. 

"This ring isn't going anywhere," Hyunjin promised.

"You're even going to wear it when you sleep?"

"All the more to get you in my dreams." (The greasy wink that Hyunjin gave him prompted a fake gag from Seungmin's end).

"But really though." Hyunjin shifted his position to sit up straight. Taking Seungmin's hand into his own, he said, "We haven't known each other for very long, but I want you to know that I do, in fact, value our friendship. You can trust me on that."

His sincere message was almost so genuine that it threw Seungmin off for a couple seconds, but he managed to come back around with, "Yeah. Me too."

Hyunjin beamed. His smile wasn't quite as bright and sunshine-y as Jeongin's, though Seungmin figured he ranked a close second. Bonus points for eye-smiles. 

The two sat in silence as they waited for the rest of them to finish eating. It wasn't at all awkward; rather, Seungmin quite enjoyed Hyunjin's presence, something he'd never quite felt before about anyone other than close relatives, but he was in no place to complain. That aside, as nice as Hyunjin's presence was, Seungmin could slowly feel his eyelids getting heavier. 

Fuck. And to think Seungmin used to pride himself on being a model student and sleeping at a fixed schedule almost everyday. Now it was all just going to backfire in his face. Leave it to Seungmin to screw himself over by doing something good.

If Hyunjin at all minded the fact that Seungmin had rested his head on his shoulder to fall asleep, he made no move to show.


End file.
